Machine for separating and grading coffee grains or beans.



PATBNTBD 00T. 1, 1907.

J. JENKINS.. MACHINE FOR SEPARATING AND GRADING COFFEE GRAINS 0R BEANS. APPLIcATIoN FILED JULYa, 190e.

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No. 867,216. PATENTED 00T. 1, 1907.

- J.- JBNKINS. MAGHINB FOR SEPARATING AND GRADING COFFEE GRAINS 0R BEANS.y

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UNITED STATES PATENT -oEEIeE JAY JENKINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR SEPARATIN G AND GRADING COFFEE GRAINS OR BEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. ,1, 1907.

Application filed July 5, 1906. Serial No. 324,744.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAY JENKINS, a citizen of th United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Separating and Grading Coffee Grains or Beans, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in a machine to be used for separating and grading coffee grains or beans, and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, and operation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed. l

Asis well known to those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, that for commercial reasons, it is desirable to separate the round or pea-berry coffee beans or grains from those which have a flat surface, and that it is also desirable to grade the beans or grains or to separate the larger ones from the smaller, and it is the principal object of my invention to provide a combined machine for separating the round or pea-berry beans from the flat-surfaced ones, as well as for grading the grains, which shall be comparatively simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable and effective in -operation.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it referring to the ac companying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation partially broken away of a machine embodying the invention, showing the parts in position ready for use. Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the machine. Fig. 4 is a detached end view of one of the transverse bars which carry a series of pins or projections for the purpose of deflecting the grains or beans on the conveyer. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of one of said bars. Fig. 6 is a fragmental side view of a portion of one of the side rails of the conveyer-frame. Fig. 7 is a detached perspective view of one form of the pins used on said cross-bars. Fig. 8 is a similar view of another form thereof. Fig. 9 is a plan view of a portion of one of the cross-bars used in front ofthe feed roller. Fig. 10 is a side view of a portion of one of the side rails of the conveyer-frame, showing the feed roller journaled thereon and geared to the driving shaft. Fig. 11 is a fragmental view of the corrugated grading roller. Fig. 12 is a view of a' portion of the main frame, a part of the conveyer-frame and conveyer, showing the feed roller in section and a portion of the supplying hopper mounted on the main frame gand-Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a portion of the conveyer.

Like numerals of reference, refer to` corresponding parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

The reference numeral 15 designates the main frame,

which may be of any suitable size, form and material, but preferably rectangular in shape, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. l

The frame 15 is provided at its'V upper portion with two parallel side rails 16, which are supported intermediate of their ends by means of uprights 17 located some distance forwardly of the middle of the said rails.

-Horizontally journaled on one of the standards or uprights 17 at a suitable distance below the rail 16 of the main frame is a driving shaft 18, which has on its outer portion a pulley 19 to which power may be applied from any suitable source for driving the conveyer. Horizontally journaled on the other upright 17 is another shaft 20, on which one of the sides of the conveyer-frame is pivotally mounted. This conveyerframe consists of two parallel side pieces 21 and 22, the former of which is pivotally mounted on the inner portion of the shaft 18 and the latter similarly mounted on the shaft 20, in such a manner that their rear portions will overbalance their front parts.

Transversely journaled in each of the ends of the sides 21 and 22 of the conveyer-frame, in sliding or adjustable journal boxes 23, are shafts 24 and 25, on each of which is mounted a roller 26, around lwhich rollers is extended an endless belt or conveyer 27, which may have on its outer surface a series of pins 28 arranged in diagonally extending rows, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings and for the purpose to be presently explained.

As shown and will be understood by reference to Fig. 1, the journal boxes 23 in which the ends of each of the shafts 24 and 25 are journaled are movably mounted in frames 29 secured to the side pieces of the conveyer-frame, and said boxes may be adjusted by means of screws 30 located inthe inner ends of the frames 29 and engaging at their inner ends said boxes. By thus mounting the shafts 24 and 25, it is apparent that they may be moved in either direction by turning the screws 30 so as to tighten or slacken the belt 27 or conveyer, which is wide enough to extend from the inner surface of one of the sides of the conveyer-frame to the inner surface of the other side thereof.

As the conveyer-frame is pivotally mounted on the shafts 18 and 20 so that it may rest in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 1, and as it is desirable to adjust the inclination of the conveyer and itsframe `so las t0 give them a greater or less inclination, a roller Slis transversely journaled on the rear upper portion of the main frame, to which is secured near each of its ends a connection 32, such as a cord, chain, or the like, which are also united to the rear portion of the conveyer-frame. The roller 31 is provided with a ratchet 33 which coperates with a pawl 34, pivoted on one 'of the side rails of the mainframe so as to prevent the reverse movement of said roller. The shaft of the roller 31 may be provided with a handle 35 to be used for turning the roller when it is desired to raise or lower the conveyer-frame.

Mounted on that end of the shalt 25 adjacentto the pulley 19 is a pulley 36, around which is extended a belt 37, which also passes over a pulley 3S mounted on the shaft 18 between the pulley 19 and one side ol the main frame. rhe shaft '18 also has mounted thereon a pulley 39, over which passes a belt 40, which is also extended around a pulley 4l. mounted on a shalt 42, which is transversely journaled on brackets 43 on the upper portion of the sides of the conveyer-lraine, and which shalt has mounted thereon a longitudinally grooved or corrugated rollcr 44 or leed roller.

Located horizontally in front of the grooved feed roller 44 and secured at its ends to the sides 21 and 22 of the conveyer-frame is a shelf or platform 45 which is slightly forwardly inclined, as shown in lli l2, ou which the grains will fall from the corrugations of the roller 44 in its rotation and will pass from said shell onto the conveyor 27, as is apparent.

Mounted on the upper portion of the main frame and extending from one of the side rails 16 to the other thereof is a feed or supply hopper 4G, the lower portion of which is inclined towards and extends near the roller 44, and is provided with a gate or door 47 to regulate the supply of the grains to the roller.

Transversely journaled on theupper lront portion of the main frame is a shalt 48, which has on one of its ends a pulley 49, to which power may be applied from any suitable sourcc for driving said shalt. This shaft is provided at about its middle with a beveled gear 50, which meshes with a similar gear 5l on the upper end of a shalt 52 which is vertically journaled on cross-pieces 53 on the front portion of the main frame and extends at its lower end some distance below the conveyor. The lower portion of the shalt 52 has mounted thereon two beveled gears 54 and 55, which mesh with beveled gears 56 and 57 respectively, on the front ends of shafts 58 and 59, respectively, which shafts are journaled one above the other at their front ends on a plate GO secured to the cross-pieces 53 and at their rear ends on a portion 61 of the main frame. The shalt 5S has mounted thereon a brush roller G2, that is, a roller which is provided with bristles, and the shalt 59 has mounted thereon a corrugated roller 63, which corrugations are enlarged in size from about the middle ol the rollcr to or near its lower end, for it will be observed that thc rollers 62 and 63 are journaled in parallelism and in inclined posit-ions.

Located directly beneath the roller 63 and supported on legs or braces 64 are a seiies of receiving hoppers 65, usually three in number, for the reception of the grains or coffee beans alter they have been graded by means of the grading roller and brush roller.

Connected at its upper portion to the conveyorframe and extending from onel side to the other thereof is a hopper 66, the lower portion ol which is provided with a chute 67, the lower end of which is laterally deflected and extended close to the corrugated roller G3 at about the middle of one of its sides, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, so as to discharge the coffee grains into the corrugat'iions ol said roller.

Located on the rear end of the main frame below the rear end of the conveyer isa hopper 68, for the reception of the round or pea-berry grains of coffee.

Located transversely on the conveyor-frame in front of the feed roller 44, and sccurcd to the sides ol said frame, is a bar (it), which is providcd with a scrics of teeth or prongs Tt) which are arranged in diagonally disposed rows and are inclined towards thc front cnd of thc machine, as will be fully understood by rclt'rcncc to Figs. l, 4 and l) of the drawings.

Located transversely across the convcycnframc and secured to the sidcs thcrcof, at propcr distanccs apart at thc rear of thc fecd rollcr tl. arc a scrics of bars 7 l, cach ol which providcd with a scrics o1' downwardly and ftawardly cxtcnding tceth Tt) which. as wcll as thc t'tccth cniploycd on thc bar (itl, may bc of stccl wirc. round in cross-section, as shown in Fir. S, or of tlat pieces L, as shown in Fig. 7 olthc drawings. 'lhc teeth or prongs on cach of tho bars 7l arc arranged in longitudinal rows yet in staggcrcd rclation with rcspcct to one anothcr, as will bc clcarly understood b v rt-lcrence to Fig. 5 of the drawings,

While .l havc shown onc bar titl locatcd in front of thty leed rollcr 44. and thi-cc bars 7lV located at thtl rcar thereof, yet l do not dcsirc to bc limitcd to said numbers as l may employ more or lcss if dcsircd. lt will be understood that the said bars aril so locatcd that thc tccth or prongs thcrcin will approximatc thc nppcr surface of the bclt or convcycr but will not duitc touch the sanic.

The operation of thc machine is simplc and as lollows: By applying powcr to thc pullcys lt) and lttl. it. is apparcut that thc convcycr 27 and thc brush and grading rollcrs (i2 and (Sii will bc drivcn in thc dirci-- tions indicated by thc arrows in Figs. Vl and 2 of thil drawings, in which operation thc coflce `rains in their mixed condition will bc fcd from thc supply hopper -tt3 to the corrugated fccd rollcr lt from which, in its rotation through its gearing with thc shalt t8, thc grains will be intermittently dunipcd or dcpositcd on thc inclined shelf or platform 45, from which thcy will pass onto the inclined and upwardly traveling coin vcycr 27 and bc carricd thcrcby. ln this opcration` the round or pea-berry grains will, on account. of their rotundity, roll down thc inclined and movingr conveyor, and some of the flat-surfaced bcans will also ha vc a tcndcncy to roll or glide down thc conveyor whcn deposited on their rounded surfaces until they rcach the tecth on thc bars 7l, which will havey thc ct'fcct to turn thcm ovcr so that they will lic on their [lat surlaccs and thus bc carricd upwardly until they strilic the tccth on thc bar (ttt when, by rcason of thc diagonal arrangement of said tccth, thcy will bc canscd to move diagonally on thc bolt, and if any of thc flat-surfaced bcans should bc located so closcly togcthcr as to hold one or more pea-berry grains, thcy will bc movcd by the tcclh so as to frcc said bcrry bcans and allow thcm to roll down the convcycr. On account of thc rotundity ol the pca-bcrry beans thcy will pass bctwccn thc pins on t-hc bars 7l and lind lodgmcnt in the rccciving hopper GS thcrcfor. After thc llat-surfactal bcans havc passed forwardly bcyond thc bar titl thcy will bc do positcd in the hopper (tti and pass thcrclrom through the chute 67 onto tho corrugations of thc grading rollcr 63, and as it rotates thcy will bc carried upwardly so that the brush (S2 will act on thcni in such a manncr as to turn their convex surfaces downwardly, thus pcrmitting them to glide down the inclincd corrngations of the grading rollcr (i3, in which opcrat ion, as said roller further rotates7 the smaller beans will be deposited in the hopper 65 at the upper portion of the grading roller, and the beans of another size deposited in the hopper adjacent to the first-named one7 and the largest of the beans deposited in the hopper at the lower end of the grading roller. In the foregoing operation, it will be understood that the teeth "or spikes 28 on the conveyer 27 will pass between the teeth of the bars69 and 7l and will remove from the latter, lint ravelings and strings contained in thel mixed coffee from the bags in which it is shipped and which may cling to said teeth.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is-

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with the main frame, of a conveyer-frame adjustably mounted thereon, an endless conveyer mounted to travel in said conveyer-frame and carrying a series of upwardly projecting pins arranged in a row across the same, a feed hopper mounted on the main frame above the conveyer, one or more bars transversely located on the conveyer'frame at the rear of the feed hopper and having downwardly and forwardly extending teeth arranged in staggered relation to one another, and means to drive the conveyer, substantially as described.

In a machine of the character described, the combination with the main frame, of a conveyer-frame adjustably mounted thereon in an inclined position, an endless conveyer mounted to travel in said conveyer-frame and carrying a series of upwardly projecting pins arranged in a row across the same, a hopper mounted on the upper portion of the main frame, a bar located transversely across the conveyer-frame and having downwardly and forwardly inclined teeth or prongs arranged in diagonally disposed rows, and means to drive the conveyer, substantially as described.

In a machine of the character described, the combination with the main frame, of a conveyer-frame adjustably mounted thereon in an inclined position, an endless'conveyer mounted to travel in said conveyer frame and carrying on its outer surface a series of spaced apart and outwardly projecting pins arranged across the same in diagonally disposed rows, a hopper mounted on the main iraine above the conveyer', a bar located transversely on the conveyer-frame in front of the hopper and having forwardly and downwardly inclined prongs or teeth arranged in diagonally disposed rows, one or more bars transversely located on the conveyer-frame at the rear of the hopper and having downwardly and forwardly eX- tending teeth or prongs arranged in staggered relation with respect to one another', and means to drive the conveyer, substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination with the main frame, of a corrugated roller and a brush roller journaled in parallelism in inclined positions on 'said frame, a hopper supported on the main frame and having a chute communicating at its lower end With the corrugations ot' said corrugated roller, the said corrug-ations being enlarged towards the'lower portion of the roller, means to drive the said rollers, and receptacles located below the corrugated roller to receive the grains therefrom, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the character described, the cornbination with the main frame, ot' a conveyer-frame adjustably mounted thereon in an inclined position, a conveyer mounted to travel in the.conveyert'ran1e, a supply hopper mounted on the main frame above the conveyer, a longitudinally corrugated feed roller transversely journaled above the conveyer, a corrugated grading roller longitudinally journaled in an inclined position on the main frame, a brush roller longitudinally journaled in parallelism with the grading roller, the corrugations of the grading roller being enlarged towards the lower portion of said roller, means to drive the conveyer and feed roller, and means to rotate the grading and brush rollers, substantially as described.

l .TAY JENKINS. y

Witnesses CHAS. C. TILLMAN, M. A. NYMAN. 

